This application relates to data retrieval and presentation, and more specifically to user interfaces for efficiently changing search criteria used to retrieve and display data.
Data processing systems can store, modify, and display data for a wide range of applications. For example, a purchasing system may provide for submission and fulfillment of purchase orders, which are stored in a database when they are received, submitted to other systems for processing, displayed in response to user queries about purchase order status, and eventually deleted from the database once the purchase orders are complete. Other types of systems may process different data and perform different actions with the data. For example, a system that directs air traffic may store aircraft flight data in a database and display the data in various ways in response to user requests. A medical records system may store patient information in a database and display portions of the patient information. The queries that are used to retrieve data are ordinarily expressed using a language such as Structured Query Language (“SQL”). Such query languages are complex and inconvenient to use, so graphical user interfaces are provided to simplify the retrieval of data. Graphical user interfaces can provide features that enable users to select or define search criteria in a more straightforward manner. For example, a list of predefined search criteria may be presented, with descriptions tailored to the particular type of data used in the application, and users can select the desired search criteria in the user interface to cause data matching the search criteria to be displayed.